Show Summary
Summary In Season One, Payson Keeler (Ayla Kell), Kaylie Cruz (Josie Loren), and Lauren Tanner (Cassie Scerbo) are three elite-level gymnasts. They train at one of the best gyms in the country, the fictional "Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Training Center," or "Rock," in Boulder, Colorado, in hopes of winning gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. The three girls have been best friends and teammates for years. They are joined by newcomer Emily Kmetko (Chelsea Hobbs), an untrained gymnastics phenom plucked from obscurity after her mother, Chloe (Susan Ward), writes to Marty Walsh and convinces him to come see her at the YMCA gym she is training at in Fresno. The girls' future is thrown into turmoil when their head coach, Marty Walsh (Erik Palladino), is blackmailed out of his job at The Rock by Lauren's father, Steve, and made to move to The Rock's rival gym in Denver, taking Lauren and other gymnasts with him. It is revealed later that Kaylie's mother (Rosa Blasi) and Marty were having an affair, and he left to keep the secret from being exposed. Marty and Kaylie's mother exchange a goodbye kiss, which is seen by Emily's mother, who drives away and says nothing. Marty tells Steve he is in charge from now on and will do things his own way. After some weeks without a coach, Marty is replaced by Sasha Belov (Neil Jackson), a former Olympic champion with a demanding coaching style. Sasha is recruited to coach by Steve and only agreed to do so if Lauren came back to The Rock and the girls were all together there. While Payson, one of the top gymnasts in the country, appreciates Sasha's experience and drive, the other girls chafe at his demanding style and the restrictions on their personal lives. Emily struggles to hide the fact she has to work to support her family. She was afraid that if the coaches or people at the National Gymnastics Committee(NGO) found out it could jeopardize her scholarship. Summer, Steve Tanner's assistant, is now his girlfriend. Lauren struggles with this fact, feeling as if Summer, a kind and beautiful Christian with strong morals, is either trying to replace her mother or is after her father's money. Kaylie has to hide her relationship with Carter Anderson, another gymnast at The Rock. Kaylie has been secretly dating Carter for the past year. Lauren is hiding the fact that she has lost her virginity to Carter from Kaylie, while also trying to get him to go out with her. Summer tries to be a good role model for Lauren. Payson begins to have back problems and tries to hide this from her parents and Sasha because she was desperate not to lose her chance to become National Champion and beat her rival, Kelly Parker (Nicole Anderson). Though Lauren has truly warmed up to Summer, the difference in Steve and Summer's beliefs resulted in a break up. In the first midseason finale, the girls compete at the National Gymnastics Championships, where the top 12 girls will be chosen for the National Team, the first step on the road to being chosen for the Olympic Team. Lauren engages in various schemes to improve her chances but in the end, Kaylie receives the title of National Champion beating Kelly Parker. After a bad fall on the uneven bars, Payson fractures her spine and finds out she can never do gymnastics again. Kaylie, Lauren and Emily all receive spots on the National Team. As season one resumes, Payson must deal with what seems to be the end of her gymnastics career and dreams. She struggles to integrate into regular teenage life. Kaylie struggles with the guilt that comes with the knowledge that if Payson had not fallen, she would not have won the title and Payson would of. Summer and Sasha begins a relationship and Emily and Payson gets closer during this time. When Payson has the opportunity to undergo a cutting-edge surgery to fix her spine, she jumps at the chance. The operation is successful but she does not want to return to gymnastics, fearing she will injure herself again. Meanwhile, the three Rock girls find an enemy in the head of the National Gymnastics Committee, Ellen Beals (Michelle Clunie), who prizes obedience to her authority above all else and feels threatened by The Rock girls' independence. She especially tries to keep Emily off the team, believing her not to be international elite material because of her background. The girls continue to face renewed personal challenges. Emily wrestles with her desire to be an Olympic gymnast and her growing love for Damon, a coworker at The Pizza Shack where she works. Carter is allowed back in The Rock and finds support from Lauren after she finds out he is living in his car, having been kicked out of the home by his father, who does not support his gymnastics career. Payson's father is laid off from his job and has to accept another one far away from Boulder. Payson's mother Kim takes over managing The Rock, as the girls are shut out of the National Team. Kaylie and Emily are kept back from a USA vs. China meet. To get The Rock girls recognized as being international standard, The Rock holds a private meet between them and the Chinese National Team, the best in the world. Ellen Beals puts pressure on Kaylie not to compete, telling her she might lose, which would not be good for her profile. Ellen also blackmails Emily, telling her if she competes she will have her scholarship revoked after Ellen finds out about Emily's job at The Pizza Shack. Emily and Payson help each other face their fears. Working together, the girls are able to get five medals, more than the U.S. National Team got in Beijing, thus proving that they belong on the team. In the second season, the girls are joined at The Rock by superstar male gymnast Austin Tucker (Zane Holtz). Payson refuses to accept her body has changed since her injury and is encouraged to petition to the National Team by Ellen Beals against the advice of Sasha, who thinks she is not ready. Her petition is denied, and she is heartbroken until Sasha convinces her to return, hoping to revitalise her career by transitioning her into being an artistic gymnast. Payson, whose previous style had emphasized raw power over grace, and who continues to have conflicted feelings about her own femininity and beauty, is skeptical at first but eventually comes around and finds herself romantically attracted to Sasha. In a triumphant moment during practice she impulsively kisses him, but he pushes her away, horrified. The Kmetko family struggles financially with the loss of Emily's scholarship, until Steve Tanner secretly organizes a private scholarship to fund her training, after beginning a relationship with Chloe. When Emily finds out where the money is coming from, she refuses to accept the charity from Lauren's father and insists on paying the money back. Chloe secretly begins work as a bartender in a strip club, which she hides from everyone. Things escalate when Emily's brother begins to have seizures because his prescription has not been refilled. Discovering problems with their insurance and not having money to pay for the medication, Emily steals the medication and is arrested. Lauren finds the tape of Sasha and Payson's kiss in the practice camera. In an effort to get rid of Sasha and have Summer get back with her father, leaks only the first part (showing only the kiss) to Ellen Beals and deletes the later part (showing Sasha pushing Payson away). This results in Sasha being dismissed and Steve Tanner becoming president of The Rock. Summer is completely behind Sasha and does not believe for a second he would act inappropriately. Sasha and Summer break up because though Sasha respects Summer's values, he does not share them. Newly minted national champion Kaylie struggles with the demands of her position and slowly develops an eating disorder. Her parents refuse to believe it, and Austin, whose younger sister at one point also struggled with the same disorder, tries to convince Kaylie that she needs help. In the midseason finale, the girls compete at trials for the World Championships. Payson confronts the gymnastics committee with the support of her parents and Sasha asking them to look at Payson as an artistic gymnast. Police arrive to take Emily away, as she has missed her court hearing (which is changed by the judge to be on the day of trials). Kaylie collapses while competing on beam but is caught by Austin and rushed to the hospital. All four girls make the Worlds Team. When Season Two returns, the girls must cope with the loss of Sasha Belov. After eventually breaking down, Kaylie admits to having an eating disorder and seeks treatment in rehab. Austin supports her, and they begin a relationship. Emily is forced to wear an anklet due to her probation after being caught stealing. The other girls continue to train for the World Gymnastics Competition, a task made harder by the presence of their arch enemy, Kelly Parker at The Rock. Sasha returns after the girls track him down in Romania, and Lauren starts to like him better, as a coach as he begins coaching her directly. While in recovery, Kaylie offers her mother's old recording studio to Emily's boyfriend Damon, who has been struggling to make an album in order to impress his new (skeptical) record label. After Emily witnesses Kaylie and Damon singing together at the Pizza Shack, she confronts Damon about it. Though there are no romantic feelings between Damon and Kaylie at that point, Emily refuses to believe it, and, in an effort to keep herself focused on her dream, she breaks up with Damon. Emily soon learns that she is pregnant and Damon is the father. After members of the NGO try to persuade her to have an abortion, she insists that they have controlled her life for too long. She ignores their suggestion, and she keeps the baby. After rushing to Damon and informing him of the baby, she insists that being teen parents together will be perfect and that she could not be happier. After she leaves, he is in a daze and does not know how to respond to her level of enthusiasm. Emily returns immediately to pack but is interrupted by Kaylie. Kaylie tells her that after Damon and Emily had broken up, in a heated moment, Damon had kissed Kaylie. Feeling betrayed and embarrassed, Emily leaves to live with her godmother in Las Vegas without telling Damon. Damon tries to search for Emily, but Chloe is not helpful. Eventually, he finds her and decides to be there for her. Summer and Steve Tanner become engaged. Lauren could not be happier to have a mother again. The wedding is planned to be in Rio, after Worlds. A new gymnast, Max (Josh Bowman), comes to The Rock, attracting the attention of both Lauren and Payson. Though Max seems more interested in Payson, and Payson has unspoken feelings towards Max, she is unable to offer him anything but friendship, as she is too focused on her dream. Lauren pursues him past the point of ridiculousness. She assures Payson that Max is her new boyfriend; Max denies this. Max, Austin and Payson help Kaylie train in secret, as they try to convince Sasha that Kaylie is healthy enough and ready to compete at Worlds. In the wake of Emily's departure due to her being pregnant, Kelly Parker becomes closer to Kaylie, despite the scheming of her stage mother (Kathy Najimy). Kaylie offers her comfort as Kelly's mom is only supportive of Kelly's fame and fortune. Kelly steals Kaylie's journal, and is instructed by her mother to give it to Ellen Beals. The night before Worlds, Kelly's loyalty to Kaylie triumphs, she returns the journal to her, and admits to stealing it. This causes Kaylie's new found trust in Kelly to falter. Summer finds out that Lauren sent in the kiss cam video, and immediately calls off the wedding, as she states she wants nothing to do with Lauren, or Steve Tanner. Max tells Austin, at a party, after Max is rather drunk, he does not think he can have a relationship with Payson because he is bisexual. He goes on a drive with Lauren, and they get into a car accident. Lauren ends up fine, but Max breaks his collarbone. Payson wants to go pro, so she can earn money to help support her family, as they are still struggling with debt after Payson's medical bills and training, but her parents do not want her to forfeit her eligibility for a college scholarship. Payson tells Max she loves him and begs him to forget she said anything when his feelings are not confessed to her. In the season finale, the four girls lead the team to the World Competition in Rio de Janeiro where they win team gold. Season Three opens with Payson, Lauren, and Kaylie heading to the Olympic Training Center, as they prepare for the London 2012 Olympics. They have to deal with a new coach, and new teammates, including a new upcoming gymnast, Wendy, who has more energy to train harder, since she is younger than the more experienced seniors. An uninvited gymnast, Jordan Randall, convinces Coach MacIntire to let her train with the group, causing tensions between everyone. Coach Mac also pairs up the girls, forcing Kaylie to live and work with Kelly Parker and Lauren to work with Payson. They eventually become close friends. Payson's family announce they are going to return to Minnesota. Kelly turns out not good enough for the Olympics and leaves gymnastics. Payson has a new romance with Rigo (Tom Maden). Lauren had originally set Payson up with Rigo's friend, Brad but Rigo went instead to meet Payson. Rigo does not tell Payson about being set up or that she was actually supposed to meet Brad. Lauren begins to deal with some mysterious health issues, which she is keeping it a secret from everyone else. Payson eventually ends up finding out that Lauren has an irregular heart beat, and Lauren ends up having to have heart surgery, which may result in the end of her gymnastics career. Austin is told he has not made the Olympic Team, and blames Kaylie for it. Jordan reveals that a former coach, Coach Keagan, who has been asked to work at the USATC, molested her for years when she was young. Desperate to ensure her spot on the team, Wendy begins to drug Kaylie with a cold medicine containing a banned substance. She snuck it in Kaylie's smoothies without her knowledge. During this time, it is uncertain whether Kaylie will be eligible to stay in the running because she failed her drug tests. After Austin and Kaylie are reunited, Lauren, Payson and Jordan tell the NGO that they are boycotting Olympic tryouts unless Kaylie is allowed to perform. Lauren discovers the secret Wendy has been hiding and exposes her, getting Wendy kicked out for good. The series finale culminates with Payson, Kaylie, Lauren, and Jordan being four of the five girls chosen to represent the United States in the Olympics. Starring Josie Loren Ayla Kell Cassie Scerbo Susan Ward Neil Jackson Candace Cameron Bure Peri Gilpin Chelsea Hobbs Johnny Pacar